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I'm on a bus on the way back to the Hawkes Bay.... I take it my job is safe and I'm not likely to be made redundant

Well done to Bazza and Orphanpete, was a fun day with lots of 1sts and 2nds and a few 3rds that were almost quinellas. Thanks Scooby and Ponderosa (and others) for running the comp. Yes the Oaks fav was a bit silly but they don’t win everything and I did have 2nd and 3rd so not beating myself up. More the nose and nose that saw a quinella taken off me in the last couple of strides in the Lightning!

Thanks for the comp.Hope I can make some money next week for the cafe. Cheers Peter

It was won by Imperial Phoenix. Same Jockey as the Cup winner. Paid $8.75 and $3.05

What's the prize ?

I miss plenty I hate scoring LOL.

The way I see it after the first 5 points mike28 jack peter r s gruff ponderosa the sheriff orphanpete d burrow bazza slam dunk 3 points houlahans dream. after r2 gruff=10 peter r s=8 bazza54=8 on 5 points mike 28 jack pondorosa8 the sheriff orphanpete d burrow slamdunk disillusioned hone zappa camacho soliloquy arjay ivanthegreat paigezim 3 points houlahans dream talk1 caroline memphis3

Licencees and sector groups want this changed. Less trickle down.

Possibly one of the only good initiatives they have come up with imo. I have said before I think the distribution maybe needs to be looked (particularly on Saturday i.e. why is running 14th worth more on a Saturday than a Thursday) at but the free racing for jockey payments is a very good initiative. Participation is also a very key factor in the sport that is considerably overlooked, particularly by those who like everything their own way! Let me guess those who want it changed are the same ones who wanted free racing gone, geniuses that lot.

The tenticles of the left that is being destoyed by Team Trump/Military

You need to get out more WD. Pukekohe track is not good viewing.....best watched on TV screens. The horses run partly obscured by numerous white running rails , the angle of the course varies from the grandstand.....all influenced by car track and then there is the long straight. Difficult often to line up the finish line. The size of the place , the closeness to horse population and the stabling etc mean it should be one of the best places to race........bit IMO it ain't ! Auckland harness could end up out that way.....the training facilities very good .

Just to mention tomorrow's opening Irish turf flat meeting at The Curragh will take place on Soft to Heavy ground and it seems I'm not the only one who thinks SILVER SURFER could be interesting - he's 5/4 overnight with CADAMOSTO at 3/1.

The final day of the Cheltenham Festival maintained the cloudy and rather cool theme. A dampening of drizzle left the ground on the New course unchanged at Good to Soft. The opening Grade 1 was the Triumph Hurdle, the championship race for the 4-y-o hurdlers over 3200m. As with the other novice events this week, an unusually small but select field as the costs of transportation and other factors meant it wasn’t worth the effort for those for whom running at Cheltenham was more about the craic than any serious prospect of success. Three dominated the market – two from Ireland and one from Britain. The Irish par had been in the same yard until a couple of weeks ago but with Gordon Elliott’s disgrace, connections of QUILIXIOS had moved him to Henry de Bromhead while ZANAHIYR had remained but now under the care of Denise Foster. TRITONIC, the impressive winner of the Adonis at Kempton, carried the hopes of the British who had already conceded the Prestbury Cup to Ireland. QUILIXIOS was always prominent from the start and disputed with TALKING ABOUT YOU to the top of the hill. ZANAHIYR was taking a hold as was ADAGIO but both were close in behind followed by HAUT DE COULEURS and TRITONIC. On the downhill run to the second last, Rachel Blackmore sent QUILIXIOS on and off the home turn she quickened again and immediately TRITONIC was beaten. Tom Scudamore moved up with menace on ADAGIO but at the last QUILIXIOS put in an immaculate leap and that settled it. He kept on strongly up the hill to score by three and a quarter lengths. ADAGIO just held off HAUT DE COULEURS to hold second while ZANAHIYR was fourth and TRITONIC fifth. TRITONIC might do better at Aintree if the ground comes up decent while ZANAHIYR might also prefer a flatter track. I was particularly taken by the third HAUT DE COULEURS who was having his first run since arriving from France where he had won over 3600m at Auteuil. I suspect he’ll give the winner plenty to think about next time. ADAGIO comes out of this as arguably the best British juvenile – he should have won the Finale at Chepstow in January but idled and he’s the one I would take forward to next year as a potential rival to the likes of HONEYSUCKLE. The winner was very good, and I suppose a fence beckons – given a past winner of this went on to win two Grand Nationals anything is possible, but the Triumph very often ruins horses. That may not be the case this week given it was a smaller field and a much less frenetic race – I imagine they’ll go to Punchestown but he’s not proven on good ground so that may be the last we see of him until next season. The staying novice hurdlers have their championship race in the form of the Albert Bartlett over 4800m. This is one of those races which can be a huge bearing on the feature as the principals can either challenge for top honours as staying hurdlers or as staying novice chasers. As always, this looked a very trappy race – the Irish looked to have big chances with STATTLER from the Mullins yard and FAKIERA along with TORYGRAPH from Denise Foster’s stable. The best of the British looked to be BARBADOS BUCK’S and THREEUNDERTHRUFIVE from the Paul Nicholls yard for whom, by his usual standards, it had been a quiet week. Richard Johnson sent ADMIREL to the front after the third with VANILLIER prominent throughout – on the other hand, BARBADOS BUCK’S was in trouble after the first and never looked that happy. At the top of the hill the field clustered with any number going well and looking for position. In the straight, a bunch finish still seemed likely, but no one told Mark Walsh on VANILLIER who quickened away between the last two and in the end routed these by eleven lengths. OSCAR ELITE came out of the pack to be another placed runner for the Tizzard yard in second with STREETSOFDOYEN third. STATLER travelled into the race well but fluffed the last which I think cost him second, but he wouldn’t have won. After him came ALAPHILIPPE and THREEUNDERTHRUFIVE. This was another visually impressive performance but VANILLIER, though nibbled at in the betting market in the morning, was still returned at 14/1. That was mainly due to a poor effort at Leopardstown in early February when he finished over 50 lengths behind STATTLER and FAKIERA in the Irish equivalent to this race. Last November, he had beaten STATTLER at Naas, but it was a classic example of forgiving a horse one bad run. This was a second Grade 1 meeting for handler Gavin Cromwell after FLOORING PORTER won the Stayers the previous day. I imagine he’ll jump a fence now and it’ll be a problem for Cromwell if connections decide they want a hurdling campaign, and he will have two of the top stayers in his yard. I’m sure OSCAR ELITE will jump a fence next season and I think STATTLER will improve a lot for the larger obstacles. It’s worth mentioning VANILLIER beat OSCAR ELITE by 12 lengths in an Irish point-to-point in 2019 – nearly two years on and they reproduced that form almost to the ounce. It also demonstrates the strength of the Irish point-to-point arena as a nursery for young jumpers – British buyers used to dominate and being the horses back across the Irish Sea to be trained. Now, the buyers are still British, but they keep the horses to be trained in Ireland because, to be blunt, the Irish jump prize money is so much better than the British. It’s that more than anything else which is the cause for the shift in balance to Ireland in recent years and the BHA and others need to take a long hard look at jump racing funding – the onus seems to be on quantity – more races for betting shops and the tv channels – and quality in terms of running races for decent money has suffered. On then to the Gold Cup – the championship staying steeplechase over 5200m. The winners of the last three renewals gave this race all the depth you would expect. AL BOUM PHOTO, winner in 2019 and 2020, went off favourite while 2018 winner, NATIVE RIVER, came in to the race on the back of a rejuvenated win at Sandown. The Irish challenge was much more than the dual winner and favourite – KEMBOY, a horse who has dominated Leopardstown but never enjoyed Cheltenham to the same extent and the de Bromhead pair of MINELLA INDO and A PLUS TARD. The home challenge looked led by the Henderson pair of CHAMP and last year’s runner up SANTINI as well as King George winner FRODON and the promising novice ROYALE PAGAILLE. Richard Johnson had hoped to get NATIVE RIVER to the front from the start but the old boy (the horse, not the rider) just didn’t have the speed and was always struggling. For Nicky Henderson, the race was a nightmare, but it was over quickly – CHAMP belted the second fence and was never happy and was pulled up at the top of the hill on the first circuit. SANTINI clouted one of the ditches on the far side and was eventually pulled up in front of the empty stands with a circuit to go. Bryony Frost and FRODON did what they do best – made the running and jumped from fence to fence but the Irish were never far away. MINELLA INDO, A PLUS TARD and AL BOUM PHOTO all sat in behind the pace while KEMBOY and BLACK OP (running a huge race) were up the front. Going down the hill for the final time, FRODON went on but was quickly attended by MINELLA INDO and A PLUS TARD while Paul Townend finessed AL BOUM PHOTO into a challenging position but jockeyship counts even in a 5200m race and as they approached the home turn Rachel Blackmore moved over to hold in Paul Townend on AL BOUM PHOTO. As it turned out, it didn’t win the race for her and it probably didn’t lose the race for him, but the beneficiary was Jack Kennedy on MINELLA INDO who quickened ahead moving down the last and had enough in hand to hold the late rally of A PLUS TARD winning by a length and a quarter. AL BOUM PHOTO was four and a half lengths further back in third and in turn 25 lengths ahead of the first British trained runner, NATIVE RIVER. Of the others, FRODON again proved 5200m is too far for him at Cheltenham and weakened into fifth. It was all too much and too quick for ROYALE PAGAILLE who wants it much softer while KEMBOY once again showed he loathes Cheltenham. The paucity of the British staying chasers was laid bare here – NATIVE RIVER is frankly a slow old boat, but he finished well in fourth – I’d love him to run in a Grand National, but I suspect his connections aren’t keen. As for the first three, AL BOUM PHOTO was defeated but not disgraced. He’s been superbly campaigned by Willie Mullins but whether we’ll see him again at this exalted level remains to be seen. A PLUS TARD won the Savils at Christmas which I thought was the best staying chase in Britain and Ireland, but this was unknown territory and while you can’t say he didn’t stay he was just running on empty close home. He’s only a 7-y-o and will be back next year. For MINELLA INDO this was redemption on the biggest stage of all. He won the Albert Bartlett in 2019 and was only just outrun by CHAMP in the staying novice event last year. He was favourite to win the Savils but fell early on and was then flat when fourth to KEMBOY at the Dublin Festival, but this is a horse in which connections have always believed. For Jack Kennedy, this was redemption after the fall from ENVOI ALLEN on Thursday and while Rachel Blackmore seized the riding plaudits, on this occasion she got it wrong, and he was on the right one. Henry de Bromhead becomes the first trainer to saddle the winners of the Champion Hurdle, Queen Mother Champion Chase, and Gold Cup in the same year and that’s an incredible achievement eclipsing the expected dominance of Willie Mullins. To be fair, Mullins has MONKFISH waiting in the wings next season and it’s no surprise the staying novice chase winner is 4/1 favourite for the 2022 Gold Cup. ENVOI ALLEN and MINELLA INDO are at 8/1, A PLUS TARD at 10/1 and the best of the British challengers is CHANTRY HOUSE at 16/1. It wasn’t so much a whitewash as a greenwash as the Irish swept the British aside in almost all divisions this year. The balance has never been so one-sided for the reasons I’ve stated above (among others). Paul Nicholls, the British champion trainer, was almost absent and the Irish won the Prestbury Cup 23-5, their best result ever. The British haven’t won since 2015 and are light years away from so doing. With the notable exception of SHISHKIN who looks a real threat to the Irish in the Queen Mother next year, the Irish look set to dominate the other NH divisions for the foreseeable future.

Thanks Ponderosa congrats to the three prize winners Bazza54 , Peter R S and Orphapete...and thanks to everyone who entered today you all make the comps a success....Ponderosa you are way ahead of me as a scorer and thanks again for the hard work for such a thankless task LOL...see you all next weekend.

I wouldn't under rate the horses that come to Castlepoint, need plenty of speed to win along the beach.

After r5 these May be correct but who knows. peter r s =29 nearco=21 Al feilding=21 floydpink=21 gruff=20 voice of reason=16 the rest on 15 or less

After this week it' s one of those rare days today Rusty that a man feels alive and can come in from work and say to his family get dressed up smart I am treating you out me winnings , get in the Ford Cortina guys we are all off out to the Chippy and you can all have anything you want from Menu up to a total cost of 5 bucks each , then come home and gorge on the fine cuisine , inc individually wrapped Tartare Sauce sachets.

Geez.. I think this bus needs to have foils, a turbo charger and run at the speed of sound...

Indeed, Ponderosa. Anyone can carp about others' efforts - but once you hit the rockface you tend to find that, you know, the fruits of the incumbent's blood, toil, tears and sweat were - and are - actually pretty darned good! Does your bus driver have any America's Cup-like foils he can get up onto? Effing freezing here at Trentham - though I am (presently) winning - and, ye Gods, I still have the Hurricanes-Chiefs game to shiver at tonight. Cheer fior Tabata in this upcoming Cuddle Stakes!

Tell that bus driver to drive faster and take any shortcuts.lol

The way I see it after the first 5 points mike28 jack peter r s gruff ponderosa the sheriff orphanpete d burrow bazza slam dunk 3 points houlahans dream.

Day 3 of the Cheltenham Festival kept the cloudy and cool theme. The racing moved to the other course (the New Course) which is a more galloping track and for example there are only two hurdles in the final 1400m. The opening race was the Grade 1 Marsh Novices Chase over 4000m for the mid-distance novices. ENVOI ALLEN, unbeaten in eleven races, went off 4/9 favourite – he had won the Bumper in 2019 and the Ballymore last year and had swept all before him in novice chases in Ireland. However, it all went wrong at the fourth as ENVOI ALLEN took off too early, banked the fence and fell. Fortunately, he’s fine and will live to fit another day. That changed the complexion of the race and SHAN BLUE went prominent and down the far side Harry Skelton tried to jump the race out of the others, but SHAN BLUE wasn’t fluent enough often enough and the pack always had him in their sights down the hill. FUSIL RAFFLES had disputed early before Skelton sent SHAN BLUE on and he came back to challenge approaching the second last with CHANTRY HOUSE, CHATHAM STREET LAD and ASTERION FORLONGE but by the last it was CHANTRY HOUSE who had asserted for Nico de Boinville and he led home a 1-2 for veteran trainer Nicky Henderson for whom this was a 70th Cheltenham Festival winner making him the most successful British trainer of all time. CHANTRY HOUSE beat FUSIL RAFFLES by three lengths with ASTERION FORLONGE third, CHATHAM STREET LAD fourth and SHAN BLUE fading to fifth. You’d have to say the departure of ENVOI ALLEN devalued this to some extent but let’s not forget CHANTRY HOUSE was third in the 2020 Ballymore to his other stable mate, SHISHKIN and comprehensively reversed December form with FUSIL RAFFLES on this better ground. I think he could be a Ryanair contender next year. Speaking of which, three late withdrawals due to the quickening ground left just eleven in the 4000m Ryanair Chase, the Championship race for the mid-distance chasers. On paper, this looked a wide-open race with many chances, but the money came for ALLAHO, who had previously looked the Mullins second string behind MIN. However, this seemingly open race was taken apart by ALLAHO who produced a scintillating performance in making nearly every yard. MIN went with him until he weakened from three out and while the likes of KALASHNIKOV and FAKIR D’OUDAIRIES along with TORNADO FLYER scrapped it out for the minor places, there was only one winner and ALLAHO came home by 12 lengths. A number of reputations went up in smoke with the likes of MIN, MELON, IMPERIAL AURA and MISTER FISHER all pulling up, broken by the relentless gallop set by the winner and on that evidence, you’d have to wonder whether we’ve seen next year’s Gold Cup winner (and that even allows for MONKFISH). ALLAHO was third to CHAMP in the staying novice chase last year but put up a couple of moderate efforts in the John Durkan and the Savils and for all he won well at Thurles last time, this was a huge step forward and while the Gold Cup looks a big ask, the way this horse jumped and ran suggested he could mix it with the very best. The Stayers’ Hurdle is, as it says on the tin, the championship race for the staying hurdlers over 4800m. Last year’s winner LISNAGAR OSCAR and the winner the previous year PAISLEY PARK formed the core of the British challenge but faced a strong Irish challenge from the likes of SIRE DU BERLAIS, FLOORING PORTER and FURY ROAD with the last named backed into 4/1 against PAISLEY PARK. Jonathan Moore, FLOORING PORTER’s usual rider, stood himself down in the morning. He had a heavy fall at Naas last Sunday and still didn’t feel 100% so selflessly gave the ride to Danny Mullins. From the start, Mullins made his intentions clear sending FLOORING PORTER to the front and setting a searching gallop. LISNAGAR OSCAR crashed out at the seventh and badly hampered FURY ROAD ending his race. At the top of the hill Mullins took a breather and then kicked down the hill towards two out by which time the chasing pack were under pressure but trying to close. However, they never landed a blow and with a fluent leap at the last, FLOORING PORTER was away and gone and ran on strongly to win by three and a quarter lengths. SIRE DU BERLAIS ran on for second depriving PAISLEY PARK who had to settle for third while BEACON EDGE, who had threatened briefly on the home turn, weakened for fourth and THE STORYTELLER was a never nearer fifth and I’d love to see him in a National. It's no coincidence the winner was the youngest horse in the race, and I noted in the preview the staying division was in a period of transition and so it may have proved with one or two of those in the Ballymore and maybe the Albert Bartlett looking like they could be stayers next year. Both second and third are 9-y-o and you just wonder if their time has been and gone – the fourth, BEACON EDGE, as a 7-y-o, could yet improve but the winner is now the dominant force in the staying division and will surely be a big player in the next couple of seasons. It was good for the British to get one back but the Irish dominance of the top races continues unabated – ALLAHO was spectacular and I’d love to see him in a King George as Kempton’s 4800m on decent ground looks tailor made.

Hell yeah Barry Purdon Tony Herlihy Ray Green In fact most have either a website or facebook page or both

Nothing to do with the 115m that have now been vaccinated..... And Rand Paul is another moron.... https://edition.cnn.com/videos/politics/2021/03/19/anthony-fauci-rand-paul-reaction-bts-cuomo-vpx.cnn

Between Belfast Banter getting up at any ole odds, and Vintage Crop, sorry I mean Vintage Clouds rolling home at plenty a few days ago, I dare suggest that tonight at the fish and chip shop, perhaps upgrade from the cheap plain battered fish, to the crumbed sole fillet. Whilst you're at it treat yourself to a couple of those wee plastic, single serve tartare sauce sachets. Great tipping on the northern horses mate!

Wow this tweet currently has 37 retweets, 6 quotes and 65 likes. Shit the cat my son has decided to adopt is getting more traction...

You know what I think you should stop punting it obviously does not agree with you and is driving you nuts in this corrupt industry you go on about..simple fix dont bet...all your troubles will be gone.

One of the fastest 1000m courses in Australia is arguably Sandown. However, it wouldn’t matter how many fast 1000m races are won there, it wouldn’t have any bearing on a Lightning Stakes 1000m race at Flemington.

As others have said, times mean little in galloping, I never consider then. Even then, expecting a horse with a good 1,000m time to stretch that out for another 200m is pushing it. Some can only carry that speed for 1,000m. The silliest thing you hear in trotting is the commentator calling out the times during a race, at least the gallops don't go that far. Not sure if they expect punters to change their bets during the race once they hear the time. The only important thing about times is that the horse you back is 0.0001 of a second faster than the second fastest horse in the race at the end of the race.